Saturday, 8 May 2010
Warsaw, Poland
Having travelled independently thus far am to meet up with the rest of the Trans Siberian group. One set are also travelling to Moscow by train from London which I could’ve done but wanted to stop off to see Miss Braunschweig. Other set are flying into Moscow.
Wait in hotel lobby for British guide to arrive mid morning to meet up with the group travelling by train from London. They having travelled overnight by train from Germany.
Jolly young looking woman appears and says, “Are you Mr Taurean?”
“Yes”
“You can spot a Brit a mile off!”, she retorts. We’ll call her LC. Our escort and guide to Vladivostok.
Meet up with the eleven travellers that have also travelled by train from London. Safe to say I’m the youngest by some margin.
Orientation tour of Warsaw begins with the Royal Baths Park (Lazienki Park), the largest in Warsaw. Typical European park with assorted 17th and 18th century buildings and palaces. Hearing a concert by the lake discover a load of disabled kids in wheelchairs watching a disabled pop singer in a wheelchair on a stage on an island in the lake with TV cameras, lights and sound rig, belting out a rock ballad. Nearly become disabled myself when I slip and very nearly break a leg.
Last came to Warsaw in 1997 driving back from Istanbul. My recollection was that it was a nice place and felt safe. Still is today. Seems to be a younger generation milling about. Must be some festival as there’s a large group salsa dancing outside the Town Hall. Fantastic atmosphere on this warm sunny blue sky day.
The other good thing about Warsaw are the granite street benches. You push a button on them which then plays a few minutes of Chopin. Warsaw’s famous composer. Great idea but can’t see it working in the UK. Soon get vandalised.
Passing the Palace of Culture, Poland’s tallest building, see what appear to be people on a viewing terrace at the top. I’ll have a bit of that. Go to the nearest entrance. But directed to another entrance the other side of this large building. To find a ticket kiosk. But. She directs me to the other side from whence I came. Playing ping pong with Touring Taurean aren’t they. Find yet another entrance and directed to another side of the building. Have now practically walked the perimeter of the building in the search of the sodding entrance. Building reminds me of the Seven Sisters buildings in Moscow. Entrance finally found it’s a lift that whizzes up to the 33rd floor observation deck in 20 seconds at 6m/s. Poland’s fastest lift. Female lift attendant with a dodgy hairstyle and colouring sits on a little stool spending the whole day pushing buttons 1 and 33.
Amazing views from the top and like Koln Cathedral a reminder of how flat the landscape is.
We’re to depart on the 20hr overnight train to Moscow tomorrow so need some provisions. Carrefour is the nearest to hotel. The alcohol section is gated off and you have to purchase wines and spirits from a separate cashier. Stock up on bread, cheese, salami, nuts, olives and other snacks for tomorrow’s journey. Enter the gated alcohol section. Decide on a Jacobs Creek Shiraz Cabernet on account of the free travel corkscrew that comes with it. And a bottle of Jamesons. On account of the screwcap. Single malt is preferred, dear reader, but this invariably comes with a cork top. Touring Taurean’s Top Travel Tip: don’t travel with a cork top Single Malt whisky…there’s a risk it’ll come off in your bag. Lessons have been learnt, dear reader.
Long slow queue for the alcohol check out. Everyone is getting fractious especially when the cashier disappears for 10 minutes. Having paid for the alcohol at the dedicated alcohol check-out now have to queue at another till to pay for groceries. This is faff central. Put the wine and whisky on the conveyor simply so I can put it all in one bag. She scans the wine and then asks for the till receipt for the whisky which I show her. The grocery bill comes and I can see that she’s charged me for the already paid for wine. Pointing this out it’s made out that the wine has been cancelled. Don’t believe it but pay up and have to move to a side table to sort out the paper bag full of groceries and check the bill. Patently obvious she’s charged me for the wine. Pick the heavy paper bag up to go back to till but the entire top handle section rips apart from the main bag spilling contents everywhere.
Bugger.
Grumpy now.
The toss is argued in fluent, well spoken English. She in Polish. It’s going well, dear reader. You don’t need to understand any language as to what is being said. You can guess.
I’m right. She’s wrong. Takes some time, dear reader, for her to realise she’s wrong.
But we get there.
Now have to go to her supervisor. No one speaks English in the shop. That’s not a barrier though. Soon fully reimbursed the bottle of wine. And provided with two new plastic bags.
